337 Flatheads

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Any of you ever had any fun with a 337 Lincoln Flathead? I just picked up a '49 Lincoln Cosmo rag top and its the first BIG Flathead I've ever had. Before I start messin with it, I'd sure like to know some ins and outs.

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MODERATOR

Vic- as a guy who ran that motor in my 49 Cosmo coupe for years, I can tell you- Don't do it! Unless you have a ton of money to spend on it, and are o.k. with mediocre performance.
Problem #1: The motor weighs 850 pounds
Problem #2: Hop up parts are really rare, and cost $$$$

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Any of you ever had any fun with a 337 Lincoln Flathead? I just picked up a '49 Lincoln Cosmo rag top and its the first BIG Flathead I've ever had. Before I start messin with it, I'd sure like to know some ins and outs.

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Hey Vic,
If we can find a spare stock intake, we can fool around with milling the top off and adapting a four barrel or something. Im not real familiar with the "big block" Flathead but I do know the the intake valves are larger than the 1.5" exhausts, maybe around 1.7" or so. The exhaust port boxes are smoother than the smaller Flatties. I'll bet you could get alot more ou'ta that baby by just uncorking her with headers a free flow exhaust and a wee bit more carburation. Let's play!

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Mike, I got the shop manual for the 337 yesterday. Also talked with Red at Red's Headers. He told me that a Cosmo is going to be at his shop in the next month, so he can fab a set of headers. Not sure about the X member or OD unit on tranny for room to run the exhaust pipe on the drivers side. I'll have to get under the car and see just how much room there is. You know me, I'm up for a Hot Rod Lincoln.

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Don't think there'll be a problem with room. When it was on the trailer I crawled under it to hook up the tie downs and I got a good look at the massive X-member. The thing is the frame channel is so big that the typical lightening holes are huge by compareson to a frame like in your `39. Should be a snap to run duals and that Cosmo.

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I havent even seen one speed part for a 337 anywhere (although Edmunds did make a 2x2 intake in '50 or '51) and Ive heard they cost a crap load to re-build. But if you can pull it off it sure would be cool!
-Dean

ALLIANCE MEMBER

Quite possibly the only source of rodding info on these things is the old "California Bill's Ford Speed Manual", available in reprint.
I believe that a distributor with real advance mechanism was used on some early Lincoln versions, while Ford truck and later Lincolns got the Loadamatic. The good distributor would likely be a useful sart on improving this if you don't already have it.

MODERATOR

Just to clarify Vic-
I'm not trying to poo poo the idea. I ran my Lincoln flattie for 5 or 6 years. It ran great, sounded killer, and never overheated.
I'm just giving you a heads up if your on a budget- If money were no object, I might have kept the 337 after it needed a rebuild; It was just too expensive to consider at the time.

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As far as I can tell, the motor has been rebuilt some time in the last five or six years, and has seen little use. we fired her up and she ran fine. Have not driven her yet as there are several issues that need to be worked out first. I want to drop the gas tank and clean it and install a new fuel line, etc.

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As far as I can tell, the motor has been rebuilt some time in the last five or six years, and has seen little use. we fired her up and she ran fine. Have not driven her yet as there are several issues that need to be worked out first. I want to drop the gas tank and clean it and install a new fuel line, etc.

Member

I havent even seen one speed part for a 337 anywhere (although Edmunds did make a 2x2 intake in '50 or '51) and Ive heard they cost a crap load to re-build. But if you can pull it off it sure would be cool!
-Dean

Click to expand...

there was one aluminum 337 head for sale on ebay made by edmunds that sold for $27 about a year ago. Good luck finding the other though....

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Check out austinrodshop.com. Ken Austin has been making multi-carb manifolds for these sweeties since 1953. Everybody puts them down because of their weight but I notice a lot of people jumping on the 346 Cadillac flathead bandwagon-it's gotta be near the same weight. Build a set of headers and lose 50#, Mill the stock heads, buy an Austin manifold, and go for it. You certainly won't see yourself (your motor) coming around every corner. Yes, Edmunds made both heads and manifolds for them but you'll probably never find them. Likewise the Edelbrock heads. Egge can provide O.S. pistons.

Vic said:

Any of you ever had any fun with a 337 Lincoln Flathead? I just picked up a '49 Lincoln Cosmo rag top and its the first BIG Flathead I've ever had. Before I start messin with it, I'd sure like to know some ins and outs.

Member

Check out the more recent thread entitled "el8". It's got pictures of Ken Austin's beautiful '30 R.P.U. with the big Linc in it.

Vic said:

Any of you ever had any fun with a 337 Lincoln Flathead? I just picked up a '49 Lincoln Cosmo rag top and its the first BIG Flathead I've ever had. Before I start messin with it, I'd sure like to know some ins and outs.

Member

Man I think I'd try to reduce some rotating weight if this 337 is going in a light car. I'd investigate if an aluminum 8BA flywheel would bolt on (or make it work) with the lighter smaller clutch. That or adapt a tough little C4 automatic. The Lincoln 337 has a 4 3/8" stroke and produces plenty of low end torque so a lighter rotating assembly should'nt hurt in anything less than a land yacht.

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There is a guy out here in the Orange county area that is building one to run at Bonneville. As I have heard, it will be 365 cu in'.. A friend of mine, Who is this guys neighbor,Said it Will be in a 32 roadster. Would it still run in the XR class????